Rahmanullah Gurbaz is an explosive Afghan wicketkeeper-batter who has redefined opening batting with his rapid glove work and powerful strokeplay, emerging as a pivotal player in ICC events. Born on November 28, 2001, in Khost, Afghanistan, he transitioned from academic ambition to cricket stardom, inspired by the reverence Afghan cricketers commanded in his hometown.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz stands out as one of Afghanistan’s most promising young cricketers, captivating global audiences with his lightning-fast wicketkeeping and aggressive batting style. He has been a cornerstone of the Afghan team in recent years, delivering under pressure in multiple ICC tournaments. Notably, he etched his name in the record books as the first Afghan to score an ODI century on debut during the 2021 series against Ireland. In 2023, Gurbaz delivered a career-best ODI performance, smashing an unbeaten 151 against Pakistan—a total that outshines MS Dhoni’s 2005 score of 148 at Visakhapatnam, making it the highest individual score by a wicketkeeper-batter against Pakistan in ODI cricket. His wicketkeeping skills have also reinforced confidence that Afghanistan’s cricket future rests securely in his hands. Born on November 28, 2001, in Khost province, Afghanistan, Gurbaz excelled academically as a child, with his father envisioning him as a future doctor. However, his passion for cricket ignited after witnessing the deep admiration local fans showed toward Afghan cricketers visiting his hometown. Inspired, he resolved to pursue cricket and earn the same respect and admiration. Rahmanullah Gurbaz follows the Muslim faith, with some sources identifying him as a Sunni Muslim belonging to the Gurbaz tribe, a subgroup within the Pashtun ethnic community. He hails from a close-knit, large family comprising nine members—his parents and seven brothers. As the second youngest son, Gurbaz received immense affection and support from his parents and elder siblings. Gurbaz has seven brothers, including elder brother Afsar Ali Saadat and younger brother Masood Gurbaz. While Gurbaz has not publicly disclosed his exact net worth, estimates can be drawn from his cricket earnings and endorsements. His central contract with the Afghanistan Cricket Board is valued between $20,000 and $40,000. His journey in international cricket began on September 14, 2019, during the Afghanistan versus Zimbabwe T20I match held in Mirpur. His One-Day International debut followed on January 21, 2021, in the match against Ireland at Abu Dhabi. As of February 28, 2024, he has featured in a single Test match during Afghanistan’s encounter with Ireland in Tolerance. In One-Day Internationals, Gurbaz has accumulated 1,888 runs from 52 matches at a notable average of 37.01, including his highest score of 151. He has recorded eight centuries and seven fifties, along with 160 fours and 67 sixes in the format. In Twenty20 Internationals, he has scored 2166 runs across 84 matches at an average of 25.78, with a top score of 100. He has one century and 11 fifties in the shortest format. Since joining the Indian Premier League in 2022, Gurbaz has been a regular feature with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He has amassed 363 runs in 19 matches at an average of 21.35, with a high score of 81. His strike rate of 134.94 includes two fifties, 34 fours, 22 sixes, and 17 catches. Additionally, in the ILT20, he has played for four different franchises, scoring 567 runs from 30 matches at an average of 19.55, with a best of 81. Gurbaz boasts an impressive collection of accolades and milestones. In 2019, he led the run-scoring charts with 117 runs in the ACC U-19 Asia Cup. In 2021, he became the first Afghan batsman to score an ODI century on debut, earning the Player of the Match award for his standout innings of 127. In 2022, he became the fastest Afghan to reach 1,000 ODI runs in just 19 innings and the joint-third fastest to five ODI centuries, also achieved in 19 innings. Rahmanullah Gurbaz is a dynamic Afghan cricketer celebrated for his explosive batting and wicketkeeping role as an opener in limited-overs formats. As of 2026, Gurbaz is 23 years old, with his birthday falling on November 28 each year. He stands at approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, translating to around 1.73 meters. To date, Gurbaz has scored nine centuries in total—eight in ODIs and one in T20Is. Details regarding Gurbaz’s net worth and salary remain undisclosed by him. His jersey number has not been specified in available sources. A comprehensive list of his career achievements has been outlined above. All images are used for editorial purposes only and are licensed solely through Getty/Source.